Pope
Francis speaks from the central loggia of St Peters' basilica during
the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing for Rome and the world following the Easter
Mass in the Vatican on April 5, 2015

Jean-Louis De La Vaissiere, AFP

Vatican
City (AFP) - Pope Francis called Sunday for an end to "absurd violence"
in hotspots around the world while praising the breakthrough reached
last week on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In his traditional Easter message, the 78-year-old pontiff prayed
that the framework accord reached Thursday between Iran and six major
world powers would be "a definitive step toward a more secure and
fraternal world."
Tens of thousands of pilgrims huddled under umbrellas in a
rain-soaked St Peter's Square to hear the pope deliver his "Urbi et
Orbi" (To the City and World) blessing, broadcast live to dozens of
countries.
Speaking from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, Francis urged
prayers for those killed in armed conflict, saying: "I think in
particular of the young people who were killed last Thursday at Garissa
University College in Kenya," referring to the attack by Somali Shebab
extremists that left 148 people dead.
In his third Easter address since his election as pope in 2013, the
head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics prayed "for peace, above all,
for Syria and Iraq, that the roar of arms may cease".
He called on the international community to "not stand by before the
immense humanitarian tragedy unfolding in these countries and the drama
of the numerous refugees" created by the two conflicts.
The Argentine pope also pleaded for "absurd bloodshed and all
barbarous acts of violence" in Libya to be halted, and voiced his
"desire for peace, for the good of the entire people" in war-battered
Yemen and Ukraine.

- Be 'respectful, ready to help' -

He prayed for "all who have been kidnapped, and for those forced to
abandon their homes and their dear ones" in armed conflict and attacks
by extremists in Nigeria and South Sudan as well as parts of Sudan and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In addition, he urged "peace and freedom for the many men and women
subject to old and new forms of enslavement on the part of criminal
individuals and groups... for the victims of drug dealers... And we ask
peace for this world subjected to arms dealers."
Francis also sounded his trademark appeal to the rich and powerful to
care for the world's poor and downtrodden, saying: "The world proposes
that we put ourselves forward at all costs, that we compete."
Instead, Christians should "seek to live in service to one another,
not to be arrogant, but rather respectful and ready to help," he said.
Sunday's Easter observances capped a long and demanding Holy Week that left Francis at times appearing tired.
On Friday he presided over the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the
Cross) procession at Rome's Colosseum evoking the last hours of Jesus's
life.
The day before Francis celebrated two masses -- one for priests, and
the other at Rome's Rebibbia prison, where he washed the feet of 10
inmates symbolically evoking Christ's humility -- a theme he took up
again on Sunday.
"To enter into the mystery, we need to 'bend down', to abase ourselves," Francis said.

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Ambassador T. Brikins is a Writer Blogger, Mass Communications Consultant and Inforpreneur having experiences in the National News Media, Oil and Gas, Administration, University and the Church of Christ..
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